Hezbollah disarmament plan faces uncertain future in Lebanon

Lebanon’s Army Commander to Brief Government on Disarmament Mission Progress

Beirut, Lebanon - The Lebanese army commander, Rodolphe Haykal, will brief the government on the progress of the disarmament mission against Hezbollah at the end of January. The tour, which was conducted by the army in December 2024, aimed to showcase the efforts made to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure along the southern border with Israel.

The tour was part of a self-imposed deadline set by the army to complete the first phase of its plan to bring all weapons under state control by the end of 2025. Haykal stated that the tours were intended to demonstrate the army’s commitment to the efforts, despite its limited capabilities.

However, Haykal attributed the challenges in completing the mission to Israel’s continued military actions and occupation of Lebanese territory along the border. The first phase involves clearing the area between the Litani River and the country’s southern border with Israel.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has stated that there is “no evidence” that Hezbollah’s infrastructure has been rebuilt. In contrast, Israel claims that Hezbollah still has a presence close to the border and is rebuilding its military capabilities faster than the army can dismantle them.

Israel recently carried out air strikes on positions north of the Litani River, which some analysts believe indicate that Israel has no intention of waiting for the army to complete the first phase before dismantling Hezbollah’s weapons. The second phase involves operations expanding north of the Litani River up to the Awali River north of the city of Sidon.

Hezbollah has expressed its opposition to disarmament efforts, stating that it believes it has complied with a ceasefire agreement agreed with Israel. The group’s critics in Lebanon argue that the ceasefire calls for the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which mentions the disarmament of all non-state actors across Lebanon.

The Lebanese government is expected to receive an update on the progress of the disarmament mission from Haykal at the end of January.

Source: Al Jazeera